FAA Targets 767 Escape Slides That Deploy When They Aren’t Supposed To

Associated Press

- Jan 03, 2016 10:01 am

Skift Take

The unintentional deployment of a Boeing 767 safety slide might be likened to an automobile air bag that gets activated for no reason. It’s a good idea to get the problem fixed ASAP.

— Dennis Schaal

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Federal regulators have proposed changes to Boeing 767 jets operated by U.S. airlines and cargo carriers to prevent accidental deployment of the emergency escape slides.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it received multiple reports of slides inflating accidentally. The FAA said it was concerned that such accidents during routine maintenance or flights could injure passengers and crew and make the slides unusable in an emergency.

The proposed rule would require changes to valves in doors to fix the slide-trigger mechanism on several models of the 767. The Boeing 767 is a wide, two-aisle plane that can carry from 200 to more than 300 passengers.

The order would affect 302 planes registered by U.S. operators, who would have 42 months to replace the valves, the FAA said. Delta has 93 767s, American has 68 and United has 51, according to the airlines’ websites.

The FAA posted the proposal on its website and planned to publish it in the Federal Register on Monday. It will allow comments on the order until Feb. 18 before the rule becomes final.

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